Refrigerator



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

F. KOEHLER, Jr.

' REFRIGERATOR.

No. 525,021. 7 Patented Aug. 1894.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

. F. KOEHLERJr.

REFRIGERATOR.

Patented Afig. 28, 1894'.

at the point 3. Each section comprises double UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

FERDINAND KOEHLER, J R., OF CAIRO, ILLINOIS.

REFRIGERATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 525,021, dated August28, 1894. Application filed December 14, 1893. serial No. 493,661- (Nomodel.) I

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FERDINAND KOEHLER, Jr., a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Cairo, in the county of Alexander and State ofIllinois, have invented a new and useful Refrigerator, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in refrigerators, the obj ects inview being to provide a refrigerator that is accessible to all parts forcleaning and other purposes, and which is designed for use by butchers,families, and others. Various other objects and advantages of theinvention will appear in the following descrlption and the novelfeatures thereof will be particularly pointed in the claims.

Referring to the drawings,-Figure 1 is a perspective view of arefrigerator embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is avertical longitudinalsectional view. Fig. 3 is a'detail in perspective of the meat-rack. Fig.at is a transverse sectional view thereof. Fig.5 is a bottom plan viewof one of the lower racks. Fig.

3 the present instance adjacent to the upper end thereof a circularmetal head 16, the same having a central flanged hub 17 through which 6is a sectional view thereof.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts in all the figures of thedrawings.

In the practice of my invention I preferably construct the refrigeratorcylindrical, though if desired the same may be rectangular incross-section, and is constructed upon dimen- 810115 in accordance withthe use for which the refrigerator is designed.

The refrigerator preferably comprises two sections, a lowerrefrigerating section 1 and an upper ice section 2, the line'of divisionbeing walls, the same being lined with mineral-wool or other non-ndnoting packing, the interiors of the sections being metal-lined, as isusual. The upper section is provided with a top 4, and at its front sidewith a pair of doors suitably hinged and provided with properfastenings. An ice-rack 6,.is in the bottom of the upper section, and tothis icechamber above the rack the doors 5 give access.

The center of the ice-rack is provided with a drip-opening 7, and thesame communicates with the upper end of a hollow pipe 8 whose lower endis journaled in the bottom of the lower section and projects below thesame. At its lower end the pipe is preferably provided with asprocket-wheel 9, and a chain 10 connects said wheel with alargersprocket-' rotate the shaft Stogether with the shelves it carries byhand.

It is my intention to provide the drip-pipe 8 with shelves in accordancewith the use to which the refrigerator is to be put, as for instance ifit is designed to be used by a saloon and intended merely for bottles, asolid or a cast-metal open shelf 14 would be employed; if it be intendedfor use by a retail butcher I would provide a shelf similar to thatindicated by the numeral 15." These, however, as before stated, willdepend entirely upon the use for which the refrigerator is designed.

Upon the outer shaft or pipe 8 I secure in a binding-screw 18 is passed,the inner end of the latter impinging upon the hollow shaft or drip-pipe8. At intervals upon the upper side of the head 16 I locate pairs ofperforated bearing-lugs 19, and extend through the entire series of lugsa circular pintle-wire 20. Between each pair of lugs upon thepintlewireI pivot a spike 21, whose outer free end is pointed so as to receivesteaks, chops, and other out meats. The inner end of each spike isflattened as at 22, while the heel thereof is rounded as at 23, so thatthe spike may be swung to a vertical position beyond which it cannotpass or may be lowered to a horizontal position, it being regulated inthe latter by means of the adjustable screw 24; which is located undereach of the spikes 21 in threaded perforations 25 formed in the metalhead. r

The shelves 14 below the meat-shelf herein described are preferablycast-metal and formed in halves or sections 26, each'section or halfhaving a half round opening at its center for embracing the shaft 8 andbeing provided with lugs as at 27 to receive U-- shaped binding-clamps28 through which and the lugs screws 29 are passed. These shelves have acentral flanged hub 30, and bindingscrews 31 or pins pass therethroughand impinge against the hollow shaft or drip-pipe 8. These shelves arepreferably supported at their peripheries by means of. a series of balls32 which are located in an annular groove 33 formed in annularrest-rings 34 supported by the internal Wall of the refrigerator.

Opposite the several shelves the casing 1 is provided with a verticalseries of hinged doors 35 by means of which access may be had to any oneshelf Without exposing the contents of the others. The lower shelves areintended to support bottles, butter, lard, and other heavier articles,while the upper shelf containing the spikes is intended to support cutmeats, game, 850., as will be obvious.

It will be seen that through themedium of the crank-shaft 12, theshelves maybe revolved so as to expose any portions .of the same.opposite the door-openingsg and, furthermore, that the entirerefrigerator may be cleansed. thoroughly by opening all the doors to.give access to the cleaner. The manner. of mounting the shelves insuresan. easy operation of the same regardless of the weight of the articlescontained thereon.

ter from the ice will pass through the opening 7 inrthe ice-chamber, andinto the upper. end of thehollow shaft or drip-pipe 8, coursing down thelatter and finally being emptied into any receptacle'that may be placedunder the lower end. of the pipe.

Variousmeans may be devised'for.securingv the pipe- 8 rotatably to thelower end of the lee-tank or. shelf, but I prefer to interposebetweenthe upper. end of the pipe and the shelf, a flaring ventilatorand drip device 35.. This.

drip device consists ofa series of concentrically arranged flaring rings36, which are decreasedln thelr respective diameters toward the'lowerendof the series, and are nested together and spaced apart by means ofintermediate metal straps,37.

It will be seen that there occurs between each two rings an annularair-space to-allow the cold air to freely distribute itself into the itand the wall of the casing. This space I' have indicated as 40 and itsbottom has per-' forations 41.

It will be observed that the drip from the ice will course down thereceptacle35, and finally into the pipe 8, from which it is dischargedin a manner before stated. The tendency of the cold air being to fall orseek the lower endof the casing, will cause said air to In. practice itwill be observed that the wapass through the annularopeningsintermediate the rings and beeomediffused. The Warm air, on thecontrary, has a tendency to rise and will pass through the openings 41into the annular space 40 and will be prevented from actual contact withthe ice contained'in the chamber, by the interposition of the wall-39,heretofore mentioned. The

water of condensation caused by the meeting of the hot and cold currentswill flow from the wall 39 into the drip receptacle in the same manneras the drippings from the ice.

I do not limit myinvention to the precise details of construction hereinshown and described, but hold that I may vary the same to any degree andextent within the-knowledge of the skilled mechanic.

Having. described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In a refrigerator,the combination of an the combination with thevertical rotary shaft of asectional perforated shelf mounted on saidshaft and comprising separateduplicate sections or halves: provided at their meeting edges withabutting perforated lugs, U- shaped binding clamps 28 embracing saidlugs, and' screws orubolts arranged to-pass through said clamps andabutting lugs,.said sectional. shelf being furtherv provided at thecenter with a flanged hub to embracethe shaft, bindingv screws.arranged. to pass through said hub and impinge against the shaft, andaball bearing support for the edge of said shaft substantially as setforth.

3. In a refrigerator, the combination with a shaft 3. metal head locatedthereonand provided upon its upper side with a series of pairs ofperforatedlugs, a pintlewirearranged in the lugs, spikes arrangedbon thewire and having their inner ends squared and their lower cornersrounded, and a seriesof setscrews threaded in perforations in the headsunder-the spikes, substantially as specified.

4.. In a refrigerator of theclass described, the combination with. acylindrical casing, of the ice shelf arranged within the top part ofsaid casing and provided with a centraldrip opening, and with a seriesof ventilatingopenings near its edge, an inner annular wall surmountin-gthe ice shelf torinclose an annular chamber communicating at thebottomwith the openings near the edge of theiceshelfia funnel shaped dripreceptacle arranged beneath-the ice shelf, anda verticalhollow shaftarranged to communicate at its upper end with the bottom of said dripreceptacle, substantially as set forth.

5. In a refrigerator, the combination with the superimposed ice-chamber,and the lower drip-pipe arranged in line with the opening in thechamber, of the intermediate drip-receptacle, the same consisting of aseries of annular flaring rings connected to each other and producingintermediate spaces, the lower ring terminating in a hollowbearing-stud, for

receiving in a rotatable manner the upper end of the aforesaid pipe,substantially as specified.

6. In a refrigerator,the body havinga restring 34 supported by theinternal Wall of the body and provided with an annular groove 33, theseries of balls seated therein, the vertical shaft, the shelf 14 formedin halves or FERDINAND KOEHLER, JR.

Witnesses:

JOHN C. CROWLEY, M. J. SHEEHAN.

